Greetings,
The Baltimore Sun pulled out the column our old friend Fred Rasmussen wrote about Christmas in Baltimore in 1898.
On Christmas Eve in Baltimore in 1898, Baltimore society figures, club men, financiers, business and professional men gathered with their escorts for the annual Merchants' Club luncheon. In a setting overflowing with holly, mistletoe and potted plants, guests made their way to two long tables "laden with delicacies."
"Saddles of fine West Virginia mutton, Carroll County and Virginia turkeys, plumb and done to a savory brown, chines, spiced oysters, turkey olio and other equally tempting things were spread. Large bowls filled with exclusive brews of various punches occupied positions of prominence," reported The Sun.
For all its glamour, the annual feast was just one more way in which the Baltimore of a century ago chose to ring in the winter holiday.
"With the clanging of the church bells early in the morning the town awoke yesterday to Christmas," reported The Sun on Dec. 26. "Then that cheery greeting,`Merry Christmas,' and the hearty response, `Same to you,' started on their annual round of good-will, sounding joyfully in hundreds of homes, ringing out on every street, permeating the highways and the byways, the cars, the churches, everywhere, until it became as universal as the Christmas spirit."
After 11 a.m. church services, Charles Street, Park Avenue and North Avenue were filled with "bright-faced girls and their escorts" as they promenaded wearing Christmas gifts of new ties and coats. "At night many Christmas trees were lighted up and families gathered around them. The churches were again well-filled at night," said The Sun.
In a Christmas editorial, The Sun said, "The season is one for all mankind, rich and the poor, the high and the lowly, if they are inspired by the sublime sentiments of Christ. His unselfish devotion to the welfare and happiness of mankind."
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This I can relate to and it is part of my own family’s set of traditions. There are, of course, additions. Shopping downtown on Christmas Eve, or perhaps the day before. All five of the major department stores had their main stores around Howard and Saratoga Streets. They all tried to outdo one another in their window displays. Then a walk over to the Lexington Market, which, thank God, is still there, for those special little gifts imported from Germany and elsewhere, and for the wonderful foods and raw oysters.
Of course, every time you walked past a Salvation Army bell ringer, you emptied all of the change in your pockets into their bucket. Then a festive Christmas Eve dinner with friends at a restaurant, and on to church for the 11 p.m. or midnight service (we didn’t have 7 p.m. family services in those days).
My uncles formed a brass quintet and traveled around to homes of all their friends and relatives in the early Christmas morning playing Christmas carols. There would get to our house around 4 a.m., and in that age there were never any complaints by the neighbors, indeed, they looked forward to it as much as we did.
In later years we would have open house all before and after the church service, with all of the Santa Claus collection on display.
Now it is 113 years later than era of Fred’s story, and 50 years later than my own fond memories. Today we have a new era of the meaning of Christmas.
Each year Roberta or Brenda gives me a new and different representation of the nativity for my nativity collection. I used to consider some representations as very sad and as an example of the state of our society. Now, I am grateful for any expression of the nativity, for any visible sign of the Incarnation even if it is connected to some collectable or modernistic display. Last year Roberta gave me a “Precious Moments” nativity, which I probably would not have appreciated some years ago. Now it took the honored place beneath the tree. Of course, this wonderful set would not be allowed in any public display, because we are celebrating the “Winter Festival.” I’m not sure why we are celebrating the winter festival - though that is what the ancient Romans were doing when the new Christian Church chose December 25 as the date to celebrate Christ’s birth, coinciding with and co-opting their festival. I don’t think we are becoming Druid or choosing to celebrate pagan rituals, but we truly are becoming a secular society. Over all, that is not necessarily bad for the Church. Being the minority, and a persecuted minority, can be a very positive thing. In the meantime, I am pleased to display any form of the greatest nexus of God and humanity, and celebrate in any way possible that great love offered to me, and to all.
And so, “God bless us, everyone!”
Yours & His,
DED
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